


The Masquerade

by brokenmimir



Series: Swan Queen Week Winter 2016 [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Swan Queen Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 13:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5746123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenmimir/pseuds/brokenmimir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Swan Queen Week Winter 2016, Prompt 1: Lust<br/>The Evil Queen is bored at a Masquerade ball, when she catches sight of a beautiful blonde stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Masquerade

Boring.

Even as a teenager Regina hadn’t really enjoyed balls. Her mother forced her to attend, dressed in beautiful gowns to try to catch the eye of royals. After all, only being queen was good enough for her mother.

They were even worse once she was queen. Insipid Snow White loved having parties, and her imbecile of a husband doted on his daughter’s every passing fancy. At least as queen she was able to select her own gowns, but no one really paid attention to her. She was like a ghost, wandering through an agonizing purgatory.

In the decades since killing the king, she still found herself attending useless ball after useless ball. The same petty, shallow gossip. The same hollow, empty smiles. The same rote, feelingless dances. The only difference was that now she was the center of all attention, though many were riveted by fear more than respect, although she could hardly complain at how effective her reputation as the Evil Queen was. She’d worked very hard for the safety that fear ensured, after all.

The ball that day was a masquerade affair, and while Regina usually wore such distinctive fashion that everyone would recognize her through her mask, she’d decided to have a little more anonymity for the current ball. Her gown was a deep red, low cut but less provocative than the usual, with a large feathered mask that completely covered her upper face.

Over the course of the evening she’d managed to avoid dancing, barely avoided laughing at the wild speculation about her lack of aging, and even overheard two people who’s seditious plotting was going to require a visit from her guard. Nothing too exciting, however. Balls, as ever, were boring.

Until, suddenly, it wasn’t. Or rather, _she_ wasn’t.

The woman was blonde, with long, slightly curly hair, a short, brightly colored red dress, a mask of made of swan feathers, and a toned body that had the kind of scars only warriors picked up. Regina immediately felt sparks of attraction in a way she hadn’t in years, and with nothing better to do, she decided to immediately act upon it.

“Enjoying yourself?” Regina purred.

The blonde jumped, spinning around, almost spilling her wine in the process. “Oh! Sorry. You scared me.”

Regina smirked. “Are you that afraid of enjoying yourself, that the question provokes fits? Or is it perhaps myself? Do I frighten you?”

Regina’s smirk widened as the other woman’s eyes slid over her body slowly. It was the look of a woman who was attracted to her, and she found herself enjoying it rather than finding ways to manipulate the feelings. For many years her body had been nothing but another weapon, and she was almost surprised at the heat she felt under the frankly appreciative gaze.

“No!” the blonde said. “Of course not. I mean, um, wow. You’re really beautiful. I’m just, um, nervous.”

“Whatever for?” Regina asked, grabbing a glass of wine from a passing waiter.

“Well, I’ve never been to many balls,” Emma admitted. “I’m not really a big fan of them.”

“I, on the other hand, have been to far too many,” Regina said. The blonde had a certain awkward charm to her that Regina found strangely enticing. It was so different from the polished and sycophantic nobles that she met with every day. “They are quite dull.”

“Yeah,” the blonde said. “That. Plus, there’s the E- um, the Queen.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” the blonde said. “I wanted to see her. It’s part of the reason I came.”

“What business do you have with the queen?” Regina asked, her mind racing. Strangely, the blonde didn't seem to recognize her.

The blonde blushed. “I’ve heard so many stories about her. I used to be afraid of her, you know? They’d tell stories about her being so, well, evil. Capital 'E' Evil.  But when I grew up... I mean, the Dark Kingdom’s guards enforce laws a bit harsher than most, but not as bad as some. And everyone here is so prosperous. So many kingdoms the peasants barely have enough to eat, but it’s not that way here. I just... wanted to see her for myself, I guess.”

Regina felt her heart speed up. It was rare for anyone to acknowledge her efforts ruling the kingdom. She’d never wanted to be queen, but if she was going to be, she was going to be good at it, if only to spite Snow White. “Wouldn’t you recognize her? She’s rather... infamous.”

The blonde blushed. “I guess not. I mean, I’ve heard she’s a beautiful brunette, but there are a lot of those in here. And being in a mask won’t make things any easier. Actually, I don’t even know her name. Everyone just calls her the Queen here, or the Evil Queen everywhere else.”

“Speaking of names, what’s yours? I’m Regina.”

She studied the blonde carefully, but there wasn’t any reaction to her name. Unless she was a fantastic actress, she really didn’t know who she was.

“I’m Emma,” the blonde said with an adorably shy smile.

“Well, Emma,” Regina purred. “Since you’re not from around here, why don’t I take you on a little tour? Show you the sights?”

“Okay,” Emma said.

In moments Regina had linked their arms together, pressing the side of a breast into Emma’s arm, smirking slyly at the shiver the action provoked. She felt her own arousal increase from the close proximity to the other woman, and she herself enjoyed her firm, muscular arm pressed against her.

They toured the room, Regina sharing humorous bits of gossip with the blonde. Normally she pretended to be above such things, but her mirror kept her up to date with information she could use to stay one step ahead of everyone in the room, and the more humorous stories kept her partner enthralled. The way the blonde looked at her kept her heart pounding and made her stomach clench with excitement, and she found herself trying to impress the blonde, until eventually she led her onto the dance floor.

“Whoa, what are we doing out here,” Emma gulped.

“Dancing, of course,” Regina purred.

“I don’t really dance,” Emma panicked. “Besides, two women dancing? Won’t someone say something?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Regina answered. “The queen disapproves of discrimination. No one would say anything about two women together, dancing or otherwise.”

“Really?” Emma gasped, surprised hope written across her face.

Regina chuckled. “Yes. Many kingdoms look down upon women who prefer the company of women, or men who prefer men. The Dark Kingdom is not such a place.”

“The more I learn about her, the less I understand people calling her the Evil Queen,” Emma said, shaking her head.

Regina smiled sadly. She liked impressing Emma, but she knew why she was the Evil Queen. Snow White might’ve given her the name, but she’d come to own it afterwards. She deserved the title, even if she’d stopped punishing the world many years before.  Still, it didn't take long for the woman in front of her to pull her focus back from her dark musings.

“Don’t worry about dancing,” Regina said. “The music is a simple waltz. Just follow my lead, dear.”

Emma took a deep breath, drawing Regina’s eyes to her cleavage as she did. “Fine. Just don’t get mad at me if I step on your toes.”

Despite her complaints, Emma wasn’t a terrible dancer. Her moves were certainly awkward, and it was obvious how self conscious she was, but she willingly followed Regina, and after a few moments they fell into perfect sync. They moved together as one, spinning and twirling, Regina slowly seducing the blonde with every movement of her body.

Finally, after a long time on the dance floor, Emma’s eyes were dark and gazing at her with an intensity that made her shiver. With a slow smile Regina leaned forward and spoke so softly that no one else could hear them.

“Follow me to my room?”

Emma didn’t have to be asked twice.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, once again despite telling myself to be on the ball I failed. My entry was terrible, so I scrapped it during my edit and wrote this from scratch this morning. It's going to be a long week of frantic last minute writing.


End file.
